The invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and an information processing program. More particularly, the invention relates to the information processing system, method, and program thereof for improving a freedom degree of various types of setting, for example, selection between recording and not recording of the content, the timing for erasing the recorded content.
Recently a recording/reproducing device capable of recording and reproducing broadcast programs (formed of video and audio signals), for example, a hard disk video recorder has been in widespread use. The memory size of the recording medium that serves to record such program, for example, a hard disk has been considerably increased.
The recording/reproducing device with increased memory size as described above is capable of recording a larger number of broadcast programs than before. The user is allowed to record as many programs as possible, and to select the required program among those recorded.
Although the memory size of the recording medium like the hard disk may be increased as aforementioned, such capacity is still limited. Thereforee it is difficult for the hard disk to record the programs unlimitedly. In the case where the user has already recorded a predetermined or larger number of programs in the way as described above, the residual memory size becomes too small to record additional programs unless an appropriate number of the programs that have been already recorded are erased. The method of erasing the broadcast programs is disclosed in such publications as JP-A-2001-257986, JP-A-2002-314911, JP-A-2004-304835, JP-A-2004-172682, and JP-A-2004-86288.
The technologies that have been disclosed in the above-described publications fail to comply with the demand of the user as described below.
Specifically, it is difficult for the above-identified technologies disclosed in the above-described publications to cope with the demand of the user to improve the freedom degree of various settings, for example, selection between recording and not recording of the broadcast program, and setting of the timing for erasing the recorded program. They may fail to meet the demand not to record the broadcast program that does not comply with the user's preference, and to change the timing for erasing the program in accordance with the degree of the user's preference, and further, the demand to store the broadcast program with the higher preference of the user in the recording medium for a longer period, and to erase such program as news at an earlier timing compared with other programs.